Should you Buy Galaxy Note 2 or Galaxy S4?

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Should you Buy the Note 2 or the S4?

So, you’ve decided to sell your Note 2 and get the S4 or can’t decide between the two?

Here’s some insights onto why I still use my Note 2 over the S4 and some tips when trying to decide between the two Samsung flagship phones.

Typing on the Galaxy Note 2 is just way easier and probably cause less arthritis for those of you getting older like myself. It’s like a difference between sitting on a bar chair or lounge chair all day long. When I type on my Galaxy Note 2 for hours, my hands don’t get tired but on anything smaller such as the S4, my hands start crampin’ up and I just can’t type anymore.

Battery life on the Note 2 is EXCELLENT!

I can go a full day of browsing the web, watching youtube videos, and listening to Pandora for hours and I will “still have near 50% battery life at the end of the day, usually Note 2 gets me FULL 2 DAYS on light usage and more on some days. Add an external battery charger and batteries, and you can go camping literally for weeks without charging your phone. On the other hand, the Galaxy S4 does come with a bigger battery than Galaxy S3 and sure, it last longer than the S3 but it will never get me over a full day just on battery like the Note 2 can. 3100mAh battery on the Galaxy Note 2 has 600mAh more capacity than the S4 and also 1100mAh more capacity than the S3.

The Galaxy S4 does well close to a full day but at the end of the day, if I had to choose one phone (without carrying extra batteries), it would be the Note 2.

Screen on the Galaxy S4 is EXCELLENT, it’s full 1080P HD screen with no hint of dithering even when viewing with a magnifying glass. But seriously, if you are viewing the S4 or Note 2 from the normal 12-18 inches away from the phone, you are not going to notice much difference for the most part. The Galaxy S4 looks “just a tad” sharper if anything at all.

Also, if you are viewing your phone from longer than 2-3 feet, the Note 2 will actually be easier to see due to it’s bigger screen over the S4. I sometimes watch my Netflix in my car with my phone on my car phone holder and the Note 2 certainly looks better than the S4 without having to hold my phone close.

Another point is multi-window capability for multi-tasking, which is available for both Note 2 and S4. The Note 2 was “designed” for this multi-window as it was the first Samsung smartphone to ship with this feature whereas the S4 has it as a software add-on. Even though the 1080P screen on the S4 helps greatly, there’s a huge difference between having more screen real estate vs. resolution. If you enjoy this multi-window feature, definitely, another reason to go with Note 2 over the S4.

And what about taking notes or drawing on your phone?

Note 2’s S-pen capabilities are certainly nice for jotting notes down during a call, having your kids draw some great art when you run out of paper, and I do personally enjoy writing my own ideas for my YouTube videos such as this one. In this department, Note 2 wins without a doubt with a 1024 pressure-point digital pen, one of the main reasons I bought the Note 2.

As for performance?

The Galaxy Note 2 is still well-equipped with a 1.6Ghz Quad-core Exynos processor vs. 1.6Ghz Octa-core or 1.9Ghz Qualcomm on the S4. It’s certainly not fast as the S4 but it certainly has never been slow in running any apps, Note 2 is still really fast and I’ve got my own Note 2 overclocked to 1.8Ghz QUAD-core so I am not complaining.

To put it in one sentence, the Note 2 and the S4 are completely different animals just like me and my dog.

So should you buy the all-new Galaxy S4 or the Note 2?

Well, if you are still undecided about getting the S4 over the Note 2, OR perhaps you are pondering whether you should upgrade from Note 2 to S4, the answer is simple.

If you need a large screen for easy typing, using the phone as portable media player, writing/drawing notes with the S-pen, or want to go over full day without CHANGING your battery or carrying extras in your pocket, definitely the Note 2 is the answer.

However, if you have small hands or you are used to typing on a smaller screen AND you have to have the lightest/slimmest phone on the market right now with the fastest processor and latest software features like Air Gestures, IR Remote, 1080P screen, dual-camera recording, and more, definitely S4 is your answer.

Personally though, I do use my Note 2 as my daily driver because I just don’t feel comfortable typing for long hours on my phone on a screen smaller than 5-inches. Once you go big, you cannot go back.

And yes, I prefer big things in life, even my car is big.

So in the end, it really boils down to your preference but as a rule of thumb, if you are U.S. adult average height 5’9″ or higher (I am 5’9″), you will feel much comfortable typing on a Note 2 over S4 or any other smaller screen smartphone.

And yes, if you already own a Note 2, the chances are that you are still in contract, my best advice would be to save your money for Note 3, which should be coming out in September/October, only couple months away unless you have a money tree growing in your backyard.

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Max Lee

Max Lee is the founder of HighOnAndroid.com. Max makes Android tutorials and review videos for people who want to get high on Android over at his YouTube channel and Korean YouTube channel.